Triple Crown Near Misses: Remembering the Heartbreak of Mage, California Chrome, Big Brown, and Smarty Jones

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The Triple Crown won’t be won in 2023, as Mage adds his name to the long list of Triple Crown near misses.

His wasn’t quite so bad after losing in the second leg, but there have been many to make it to the Belmont Stakes and come unstuck.

Horse racing odds are available for the Triple Crown prior to the Kentucky Derby, but the odds of the Triple Crown being won are slim.

California Chrome

California Chrome was the most recent thoroughbred to lose the Belmont Stakes having won the Derby and Preakness Stakes.

He was one of the best thoroughbreds to hit the turf, and he had an impressive career following his fourth in the 2014 Belmont Stakes, but the loss stung.

He entered as a firm favorite to take it down, but the win went to Tonalist. However, he won the 2016 Dubai World Cup just two years later, which is worth a lot more money.

In 2016, he surpassed Curlin for the highest stakes earner in North America, so although he’s the latest of the Triple Crown near misses, it’s not like his career suffered following the defeat.

In terms of horse racing standings, California Chrome is near the top of the all-time list. Trainer Art Sherman puts that down to his temperament.

“We’ve been all over the world with him,” Sherman said. “If he didn’t have that temperament, we couldn’t do what we did.

“You don’t have to be a billionaire, a millionaire, to come up with a good horse. He’s a $10,000 investment that turned into $14.5 million. That gives everybody that incentive to breed their horses and hope maybe they can get a California Chrome.”

Big Brown

The story of Big Brown is one of the more unlucky and unfortunate Triple Crown near misses.

The lovable son of Boundary won the Derby and Preakness as the short favorite in both, going 2-1 in the Derby and 1-5 in the Preakness.

His 5¼-length win in the Preakness Stakes was emphatic, and it was enough to see him run as the 3-10 favorite for the Belmont Stakes. However, there were signs of distress, and it become evidently clear that he should have been scratched.

A three-inch quarter crack was found on his front hoof in the lead-up, but connections decided to proceed. Big Brown was clearly agitated in the early stages of the race before being pulled out of the race.

He was the first Triple Crown hopeful to be pulled out of the race. He was found to have dislodged a shoe, which was likely the reason for the poor performance.

Sportswriter Steve Haskin wrote this about the mystery of Big Brown.

“The one agonizing aspect of the Belmont is the mystery surrounding Big Brown’s performance. We’ve heard many theories, and that is what they will remain. No one will ever know for sure why a horse that personified perfection suddenly came apart at the seams.”

Big Brown would go on to win the Haskell and Breeders Cup Classic. He won seven of his eight starts before going to stud.

Smarty Jones

Smarty Jones was a fan favorite, and although one of the Triple Crown near misses.

He won the 2004 Derby, becoming the first unbeaten Derby winner since Seattle Slew in 1977.

Immediately becoming a headline act, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated following the win, and he didn’t let bettors down in the Preakness Stakes, winning by a record margin of 11.5 lengths.

It looked as though the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown were at his mercy, but there were concerns about going the distance. They proved correct, as Birdstone overtook the hot favorite in the concluding stages at big odds.

It was the first time Smarty Jones had suffered defeat, and it was costly for loyal bettors and connections. It was also the first time he had been passed in a race, which is a fantastic statistic.

Smarty Jones ranked in the top five Google search words in 2004. That’s back in the day when horse racing had a huge impact.

The Triple Crown failure would be his last race before heading to stud.

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